Project managed bathroom, en suite & downstairs loo installations

En Suite Installation, Roundhay

All work completed by ukbathroomguru.com

The plan

We intended to add an en suite into the corner of this customers master bedroom.

We planned to build a new stud wall with a chamfered corner to define the space, which would contain a toilet & basin.

(This chamfered corner would make the en suite look less imposing and box like when viewed from the bedroom).

However, we also intended to make use of the space beyond the bedroom wall (as a shower enclosure) by knocking through into an adjacent bedrooms’ cupboard.

All of this required careful planning and we advised the customer of our plans during our free site survey, during which time we measured up the room and looked at the current plumbing & drainage facilities which would affect the layout / positioning of the new en suite.

We also looked at the boiler / hot water system and fuse box to make sure everything would work correctly when installed and that all work would comply with building regulations.

We drew up and submitted plans to building control on the customers behalf so they could relax, knowing that they would have all necessary certification should they ever come to sell their house.

The work

Once the plans were agreed, tiles and suite items were chosen and a start date was set, work could begin….

Here you can see how we knocked through into the bedroom beyond by removing some of the brick wall.

You can also see the skeleton structure of the new walls of the en suite.

You can see how we had to drop the ceiling height (to the laser line) in the shower enclosure slightly due to the stairs coming up over this space, though this wasn’t too crucial as the ceiling height was above average in the rest of the room.

We had to install pipework under the floor to take hot & cold water to the en suite, as well as drainage pipework to take water away from the shower, basin & toilet.

Again, this had to be carefully planned at the outset as this en suite was not in an easy position to run pipework, fan ducts and cables etc.

We matched in the paint to the rest of the customers bedroom and sourced a similar style door and door furniture.

We also relocated and upgraded the radiator on the bedroom wall to suit the new layout.

To make use of the dead space between the bedroom chimney breast and the en suite, we chose to add some custom built storage.

This would contain shelving and would also hide the (unsightly but necessary) soil vent pipe.

This is the view when entering the en suite.

The door opens out into the bedroom to maximise internal space.

The design features a small yet functional basin vanity unit with a large custom cut mirror above it.

This, combined with three LED spotlights serves to make this small en suite nice and bright, despite not having a source of natural light.

The cabinet under the basin would provide some storage for bits and bobs, but this was limited by the necessary pipework required for the drainage.

We did the best we could to hide the pipework, whilst keeping it accessible for future service.

Opposite the basin was a close coupled toilet.

We also added an electric towel radiator on the wall, operated by a simple timer.

A short projection toilet was chosen to suit the small footprint of the room and the radiator was sited a bit higher than usual to ensure that users did not burn their knees on it when sat on the loo!

Sourcing (and then positioning) suite items such as toilets and basins in small en suites like this is a very important task, as it can make the difference between a room that works and one that doesn’t.

You can see that the floor has been tiled and up-stands have been fitted rather than skirting boards.

A power shower was fitted to boost the customers water pressure.

A bifold door was fitted that opens into the shower enclosure, and we sourced this from our local bathroom supplier.

You can see that the walls have been tiled with a large wall tile in a brick bond pattern.

These ceramic tiles mimic the natural beauty of travertine very well without all the upkeep hassles.

Here you can see the back of the shower enclosure in the adjacent bedroom cupboard.

Here’s the final before & after picture, with the original carpet rolled back & refitted.

PS Adding an en suite needn’t take up masses of space:

This en suite was just 150 x 70cm internally (plus the shower enclosure).

Timescale

A job like this would normally take up to 2 weeks for me and my team, and in this instance there was a lot more work to do than normal in getting pipework, cabling and ducting to where it needed to be!

Cost

A job like this is likely to cost £5-6K including:

• planning / designing the room
• ALL of the work from start to finish (see below)
• project management as standard
• waste disposal
• all necessary completion certificates
• building control fees & liaising with building control officers

How we helped this customer (and could maybe help you)

Even when installing a small en suite such as this, many trades(men) are required:

Labourers / builders to knock down internal walls & support as necessaryPlumber to fit pipework for the new en suite and position / fit suite items as requiredTiler to prepare & tile the walls & floorCarpet fitter to refit the bedroom carpet up to the new en suitePlasterer to prepare & skim the walls & ceiling ready to be paintedPainter to paint the newly skimmed ceiling with anti mould bathroom paintJoiner to build the stud-work, hang the door, build the cupboard, fit the skirting & architrave etcElectrician to fit the ceiling spotlights, an extractor fan & an electric radiator.

That’s 8 separate trades for one tiny en suite! (though there is always some crossover between the trades)

More importantly though, these trades all need someone (the lynchpin) in charge to plan & pull the whole project together.